Mistake
by Oblivion Star Seeker
Summary: It was all a mistake, right from the beginning, to have given in to temptation and desire in the spur of the moment like that. And it was all a mistake to be longing for someone else, entirely. Lolishotashippping/Darksteelshipping, with mentions of Candlestickshipping and Snazzyshipping.


_Mistake_

_(as per request from an anon on tumblr)_

* * *

The moment her phone vibrated within her pocket and she checked to see the text message sent to her, Cynthia let out an audible sigh of annoyance, causing a few of those around her to stop and stare.

To think that over the past few days, her significant other, _Lucian_, had the gall to only communicate with her through instant messaging unnerved her. Unnerving her to the point that her thoughts were distracted from the research work in front of her and had to excuse herself out of the large research tent in order to collect herself outside.

In truth, things had become a bit tense, as of late, between her and the psychic-type user. Earlier on in the week, they'd ended up in an argument she had already forgotten the cause of, which was unintentionally blown out of proportion, causing him to start giving her the cold shoulder whenever she tried to ask him something directly.

While they'd had their arguments since they'd gotten together, like any other couple, Cynthia began to take notice as to how frequent they seemed to be occurring, even before she accepted Byron's invitation to join his research and excavation team, to aid in his fossil discovery on Iron Island, nearly two months ago.

Which was where she was now – standing outside the research tent that served as her work station, alongside other renowned archaeologists Byron managed to invite, placed just next to the excavation site itself. She knew that it was never wise to mix up personal matters with work, which was an avoidance she was trying to shy away from right now.

But she kept thinking to how he should have known she was in the middle of work and much preferred not be disturbed by such trivial matters like asking where she had placed one of his novels. Ultimately, it was pointless to be irritated by such a simple question, but to be in a relationship where she felt they were at a boiling point…

Cynthia sighed. It was best to keep those kinds of thoughts away, she reminded herself. There was simply no time in her work schedule to be mulling over personal matters.

Her grey eyes scanned the whole dig site with newfound awe. Surrounded by the deep sea and the blue sky above, the air on the island smelled like a mix of the ocean and earth. The entire work site looked like a dirt pit upon first glance, but upon closer inspection to where everything was happening inside the pit, was where the real attraction lay.

Many excavators and pokémon were scattered about the area, with the task of unearthing the magnificent ancient artifact Byron had pinpointed. He had managed to invite professionals from all over, to extend their skills and aid in the project he was in charge of overseeing. Several of them she even recognized to be colleagues who had duties to the League in their respective regions, as well. The fossil itself was close to being dug up completely that by the end of the week, the gym leader said it would be possible for the entire specimen to be examined and studied upon finally.

Such a discovery excited her, what with her knack for history and all things ancient and legendary.

From the corner of her peripherals, she spotted two of the diggers ascending up the short ladder that served as the entry point into the pit and to higher ground where she stood. Cynthia immediately recognized the two – Roark and Steven Stone – who were unknowingly heading towards her had the latter of the two not looked forward to see her standing there. A strange warmth settled within her when their eyes met, but her lips still curved into a smile when he waved.

Roark followed suit and did the same once he saw her. "Oh, hey, Cynthia!" came Roark's greeting when they neared her. "How's your day going so far?"

She smiled at him. "Busy, as always," the Sinnoh champion replied simply. "Although, I think you two have it harder than I do." She eyed both men with slight curiosity when she noticed the amount of dirt clinging all over their faces and their clothing. "Is everything going well down there?"

Steven glanced down embarrassedly at himself. "Actually, we were just on our way to get rid of all this…dirt," he said and sent Roark a look, "because it appears someone had accidentally struck a particularly fragile section which brought down a pile of it to fall right on us."

Roark grinned sheepishly and held his hands up in defense. "H-Hey now, the tool I was using was my father's," he retorted. "His stuff's usually heavier than they look so I _had_ to put some force into it."

Cynthia let out a small chuckle over their bickering. "Well, don't get distracted by me, then," she interjected. "You two should hurry before Byron sees you and thinks you're both slacking."

The gym leader nodded curtly. "Yes, ma'am," he said which garnered an amused eye roll when he walked past her.

But Steven had not yet moved from where he stood once Roark went ahead. She raised a brow. "Something wrong?"

He was gazing at her rather seriously. "Is everything all right?"

Despite his gentle tone, she merely blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I saw you," Steven said in a quieter voice, "right before Roark triggered the small landslide. You looked…upset, when you stepped out of the tent."

Cynthia pursed her lips. She hadn't expected anyone to have seen her (let alone someone watching her) exit like she did since she tried her best to mask how she felt. But of course, Steven was perceptive as always. It seemed inevitable that he would have realized something was a little off with her.

"It's nothing," she replied. "Don't…don't worry about it."

He appeared unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

But before she could try and tell him anything else, Roark's voice echoed through their ears suddenly, as he called out, "Hey, Steven, are you coming?"

Steven hesitated and glanced back at her but she shook her head. "Go on, everything's fine," she urged him, trying her best to sound reassuring.

A moment passed by where he simply stared at her until he finally conceded, "Well, all right then. Excuse me." And with that, she watched as he made it to Roark and began walking alongside him.

She'd known him for many years, even during his days as Champion. And while his concern for her was touching, she had to remind herself that they had more pressing matters to focus on in the setting they were in.

It didn't surprise her to hear that Byron had invited the former champion all the way from Hoenn to join in on the project. His knowledge and expertise in the field proved to be a valuable asset to the team. She was also glad to be able to see him after so long, the last time being when she'd caught wind of his resignation nearly a year ago.

"Ready for a break now, Cynthia?"

Cynthia practically jumped when she heard the low, gruff voice from behind her. Turning around, she instantly let out a sigh of relief once she recognized it to be the steel-type gym leader who was sending an amused grin over her reaction.

"Oh, Byron! I didn't even realize you were there," she said as she took a moment to calm her frantic heart.

The man held his shovel over his shoulder. "Didn't mean to scare you, Miss Champion, sorry," he apologized but was still smiling. Then he glanced over at the research tent. "Everything all right in there?"

Cynthia hesitated. "A-Ah, yes!" she said. "Everything's fine. I only…wanted to take a peek on how things were doing out here before I went back in, is all."

Thankfully, he nodded understandingly. "Well, I guess it _can_ get a little stuffy in there, so I can't blame you," he agreed. Cynthia smiled weakly and went along with what he said. "Did you see Roark anywhere, by any chance?"

From there, she went on to explain to him the rather unfortunate (but slightly comical) event that had occurred between his son and the former champion and as to where the both of them were headed off to at that moment. Byron's reaction was that of pure exasperation, shaking his head in disbelief and muttering, "That boy…"

"Well, anyway, that's not really why I came to speak with you," he admitted afterwards. His tone had changed into a more serious manner as he spoke. "I wanted to ask if you were willing to stay a bit after hours and help file in some paperwork."

Cynthia quirked a brow. "Oh?"

He seemed to have sensed her slight confusion as he rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "Yeah, I realize it's not exactly something that a person of your caliber would be expected to be doing, but I thought I'd ask everyone, anyway, to see –"

She quickly shook her head dismissively. "Oh, I don't mind it at all, Byron," she assured him. "In fact, I'd be willing to stay and help for a bit."

The bearded man was surprised. "Really, you're sure? You don't have any League business you need to take care of after all this?"

"Not that I know of, no."

A large smile passed over Byron's face. "Well, in that case, great!" he exclaimed. "I'll ask around and see if there are others willing to help, just so you're not stuck doing it alone, yeah?"

A smile of her own graced her lips. "That'd be lovely, thank you."

In truth, however, the only reason she felt compelled to accept his offer was to avoid heading home like she usually did after the day's work was over. She would have to face up to their matters eventually, she was well aware, but just was just feeling it tonight. She much rather preferred to keep her mind away from it all, for now.

* * *

It was nearing sunset when the entire project site on the island withered down to its last several people working away. The research tent was pretty much void of other people, save for the Sinnoh champion and her Glaceon who was napping on top of the table she was seated at. Papers were scattered in front of the blonde as she held a pen in hand, but she was seemingly staring off into space instead.

Like Byron had asked, she had gone to start on the paperwork that needed to get finished, but despite her best efforts, her mind frequently ran astray from the task at hand that it proved difficult to focus. Thus, the progress to her task seemed to be going at a snail pace because of it.

She was no longer irritated like she had been earlier on in the day but instead felt rather disconcerted over the predicament between her and Lucian. Thinking about all of it now, it was almost as if they'd grown distant from one another. At this point, apologizing and making up seemed almost futile since it would be the same repetitive cycle all over again and she could not understand as to why that was so.

She drew out her phone, staring at its screen and contemplating over the idea of giving him a simple call and just seeing how things went from there. However, the idea vanished quickly enough when she suddenly heard the rustling noise of the entrance flap to the research tent opening and closing to which she pocketed her device and looked up in mild surprise when the person came into full view.

Steven's eyes lit up once he saw her.

"Still working?" he mused, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag that hung around his shoulder. He appeared properly clean up now, having changed from the clothing he wore down in the dig site into casual attire. Gone were the streaks of dirt and dust that had been matted across his face and within his hair she had seen earlier that day.

Cynthia offered a tentative smile. "Byron asked if I was available to stay and assist in some paperwork," she replied as she attempted to organize all the scattered papers around her, "which I didn't mind doing, anyway." She glanced up at him. "Are you heading off now, perchance?"

He chuckled lightly, and she watched in bewilderment when he pulled up a chair next to her to sit down. Before she could inquire to what he was doing, he told her, "Actually, I'm here to help." He grinned. "He asked me the same thing, not too long ago, and I said there was no trouble at all in aiding you with all of this."

Her stomach did an odd turn when she heard that last part, but she nodded appreciatively in understanding, nonetheless. "How convenient, thank you. I suppose having an extra hand will get the job done faster."

Steven took a stack of papers for himself. "You'd be surprised to know how many times I've done things like this for my father, actually."

Indeed, they had gotten the job done much quicker than she had anticipated, even as they kept up light conversation in between. By the time they finished, she felt glad that he had come to offer his help, otherwise it would have probably taken her all through the night had she been by herself with her wandering thoughts. His presence next to her made her feel at ease and focused, knowing she had a friend working alongside her to keep her mind busy.

He was a man of many talents and being able to work efficiently was definitely one of them – a fitting characteristic for a future business heir like him.

Once the last few papers were filed and over with, the sun had already set and the moon had was out to take its place. Shadows were casted outside the tent but inside every single spotlight and their shared laughter lit up the room. They must have been done a half hour ago but since then, the two trainers had been chatting aimlessly with one another over just about anything.

"…I'm not exactly sure how all the gym leaders managed to fall altogether," Steven explained with an amused smile, "but I'm guessing Wallace must have had something to do with it since he was the only one out of the water."

The Sinnoh champion laughed. "That must have been quite a sight," she said.

"Oh, it was, indeed." He chuckled to himself at the memory. "Anyway, moral of the story would be to always watch out for yourself at any of Wallace's pool parties from now on."

Cynthia smiled as she stroked her Glaceon's blue fur, now lying curled up in her lap. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Not a single worrying thought crossed her mind since Steven had entered the room, but instead on how peaceful and lighthearted the atmosphere around the room is. While his presence proved useful, by the end she was simply glad to have him there.

"Speaking of gym leaders," she began with some enthusiasm, "How are you and Flannery, if you don't mind me asking?"

It was then that she noticed his gaze move towards the table and his smile dissipate once she said it. The pit of her stomach dropped. She merely recalled that he and the fire-type gym leader of his home region had formed a relationship of their own, for about as long as she and Lucian had gotten together. It must have been a month since he'd been home to see her, since he'd been in Sinnoh all this time for Byron's project.

It was out of curiosity that she spoke out loud, however, but never would she have expected to garner such a reaction from him. His expression was enough for her to guess that something was off.

And his next reply confirmed it. "Actually," Steven said in a quieter tone. "Flannery and I…things have been rather complicated these past few weeks, to be frank."

His confession took her off guard but she ended up asking, gently, "Have you spoken with her recently?"

Steven nodded, twirling the pen that was lying haphazardly in front of him. "A few days ago," he replied. "But we've both been busy so…"

There was a momentary pause after his words trailed off. She never would have guessed that beyond his cool and calm exterior, which she had been accustomed to seeing whenever he was around, he had been going through difficulties of his own this whole time.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

He looked at her. "You have no reason to be."

She quickly turned her head to the side to hide the oncoming blush. "Still," she murmured. "I'm sure that once you return home, you'll be able to work it out." Inwardly, she scoffed at her own words. How ironic it was for her to be handing out advice to someone else on how to patch up a strained relationship while her predicament was hardly any better.

She heard Steven sigh, all of a sudden. "I wouldn't be too sure about that," he seemed to have mumbled under his breath.

Cynthia raised a brow but decided against commenting on the matter.

After a pregnant pause, he then cleared his throat. "Uh, so how are you and Lucian?"

With a sharp intake of her breath, the Sinnoh champion stiffened. He wasn't aware – in fact, she hadn't really spoken to anyone – of how things were with her and Lucian. She might've had a feeling that her other League members were speculating, but any kind of discussion on such a topic had never come up with them. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if the psychic master was keeping silent, as well, but knowing him it was likely.

She pondered for a moment on how to respond to the former champion – to come out with the truth or not. He was a great listener and a good man; she knew that for a fact. It was just the sense of unnecessarily putting her woes onto someone else that made her think twice. Such matters shouldn't have concerned anyone but herself.

Yet, on the other hand, Steven was rather honest with his own confession with her, she thought. Surely that meant he placed a great deal of trust in her which she recognized to be genuine.

Cynthia stared down at her Glaceon, scratching it behind its ears, when she finally decided to say, "Actually, we haven't been on the best of terms lately, either."

She could practically hear the concern in his voice. "Really?"

She smiled sadly, looking down at the blue pokémon when it lifted its head up to mewl at her after she stopped her stroking its fur. "Like you, things have been rather complicated to deal with," she said and went on to explain to him the situation, far more eager than she expected herself to. It was like a weight being lifted off her chest once she did. He was silent as she spoke but he was listening to every word that came out of her mouth with his intent stare and a nod of understanding every now and then.

Of course, there was the chance that she might have just been ranting again but Steven never said otherwise.

He took a moment to process everything she had said once she finished and went on to say, "I'm guessing that was why you were upset earlier?"

Cynthia only nodded in confirmation.

Steven let out a breath and leaned back in his chair as he stared off into space.

She suddenly flushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, that was a lot to take in, wasn't it?"

But he shook his head. "No, it's fine," he told her earnestly. There was the faintest idea in her head that he was about to reach out to her but he only moved to unfold his arms. "I'm honoured that you decided to share this with me, but…I know for a fact that you'll get through this. You've endured so much already, Cynthia."

She glanced away. "I know, but…"

Suddenly his hand touched her shoulder and she looked up in curiosity. A gentle smile lit up his features, "If it helps, just know that you can come to me for anything. I'd be more than happy to listen."

A small smile touched her lips.

His words were simple, but they still managed to lift her mood, to an extent. There was no denying that since this project on Iron Island began, and they'd started to see each other around nearly every day, she felt that she'd grown closer and more open with the rock enthusiast. Even now, after she'd told him the basics to her predicament, she wasn't ashamed that he was the person she told.

Cynthia trusted him and that was all there was to it.

The topic at hand was soon redirected after that, to get away from the gloomy atmosphere. She always felt like he was easy to talk to, right from the day she first met him, because of the many common interests they shared. Conversation with him was rarely undying or cumbersome. He never said too much or too little, which was a trait she found most admirable about him.

It was when her attention averted towards her Glaceon shifting in her lap and nuzzling its face against her stomach did she take notice of how long they'd been sitting there, chatting away.

"It's getting late," she pointed out. "I should probably get going since we're all done here." Cynthia promptly recalled her pokémon back into its poké ball and looked back at her companion with a grateful smile. "Thank you for offering your help, Steven."

The former champion returned her smile. "Of course," he said. "I'm happy to have assisted you tonight."

She stood up from her seat. "I suppose I'll see you…?"

Her words suddenly trailed off when she realized just how close in proximity they were to each other, nearly bumping straight into him when he decided to stand up after her. For the umpteenth time that evening, her cheeks grew warm and her heart thumped wildly inside her chest.

A swirl of Butterfree erupted within her when their eyes met (blue against grey) and they stared for a second too long. Her mind was in a scramble and the sensible action of stepping away from him was what echoed strongly within her thoughts.

Except she didn't and neither did he.

Instead, she felt his fingers brush her hair away from her eyes before he leaned in, and she tilted her head up to meet him halfway – to feel their lips press together.

Every fibre of her being lit up as the last remains of any rational thoughts melted into the sudden kiss. She returned it with as equal passion as he did, more eager than she would have expected from herself. Neither of them made an effort to pull away, even though the logical parts of their minds were most likely screaming for it to happen.

But _Arceus_, she just didn't want to.

The back of her legs hit the table behind her, but other than a small noise in surprise, they paid no heed.

Her mind was completely elsewhere, fixated on the way their lips were moving against each other fluently when she felt him deepen the kiss and the way her fingers trailed up his strong arms and around his neck, pulling him closer. She felt his fingers, resting by her hip, fondling with the hem of her shirt and then a warm sensation spreading through her like a wildfire when she felt his fingers touching her skin underneath, but he dared not venture any further.

It was difficult to recall the last time she had ever wanted something like this so badly. With Lucian, it was almost always slow and tentative, as if he wanted to savour every single second – which she had no objections to, but this level of desire felt completely different to her. Her flushed cheeks and Steven's heated touch against her was met with a kind of passion that felt foreign and new that had her curious to delve deeper.

And there was no denying that a part of her liked it.

Her breaths came out raggedly when he pulled back to trail his lips along her jawline (a contented sigh escaped her when he kissed a particularly sensitive spot under her jaw) and stopped just at her neck. She ran her fingers through his silver-blue hair.

A chill ran down her spine when she heard him whisper, "You're beautiful."

His words proved to have had a profound effect on her. Through the midst of their heated moment, as if a breeze had come and carried the feeling in its wake, a strange kind of happiness passed over her – like she was pleased to feel wanted, to feel desired, to feel…

Loved.

That thought rung clear and true in her mind. To experience a kind of love where a mutual trust existed, to whom she could share her thoughts with, and the one that would shine even in the harshest of periods.

It was the kind of love she realized she never really had for Lucian.

But rather for someone else.

And once his lips claimed hers yet again, she pretended, for a moment, that all was well and all of her previous woes vanished. Such a simple act between them was enough to take her breath away, but in the process, they had already gone and done the unthinkable by betraying the ones they still had commitments to.

It was strange to think that as a young, naïve girl she had believed a Champion had it all – the perfect kind of lifestyle anyone could ever want. But of course, looking at it now, those were just simply childish dreams that had been waiting to be exposed to what the reality of it all. She had to remind herself that she was still human. A human still affected by pain, heartbreak, and regret.

Once the impending guilt settled within her, she had to pull away. Yet her eyes still fluttered closed when she felt his lips press against her forehead.

Her chest tightened with remorse. "We mustn't," Cynthia only managed to say.

But he was able to understand what she truly meant. "I know," Steven said as he brushed aside her long fringe. She could see the yearning in his eyes clearly.

That was enough of a confirmation for her than anything else. How she wished to be able to admit it properly but knew it would only complicate things more than they already have.

It was all a mistake, right from the beginning, to have given in to temptation and desire in the spur of the moment like that. And it was all a mistake to be longing for someone else, entirely.

It shouldn't have been what it was, but there was simply no denying, at that point, that she'd gone and fallen hopelessly in love with another man.

* * *

_**fin**_

* * *

**Quite dramatic, but I'm fairly proud on how this turned out. :) On a personal note, I feel like I could relate to some of the themes presented in this. And no, I've never been in a setting where I've cheated nor have I ever been, but relationship-wise I can make some connections.**

**Also, in no way do I disapprove of the other pairings mentioned in this. It was all just for the sake of the story and the prompt. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


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